Control device



C. E. BATES CONTROL DEVICE Jan. 16, 1962 Filed Nov. 28, 1958 INVENTOR. Charles E. Bares Hls Attorney United States Patent 9 3,017,546 CONTROL DEVICE Charles E. Bates, Anderson, Ind, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 28, 1958, Ser. No. 776,783 4 Claims. (Cl. 317-190) This invention relates to a control device for positioning a movable member and more particularly to a solenoid actuator for positioning a plunger in various positions.

It is an object of this invention to provide a solenoid actuator that is effective to position a solenoid plunger in at least two different positions by the use of a magnetic stop member which is electro-magnetically attracted toward a coil winding and which in turn attracts a movable armature that is fixed to the solenoid plunger and which moves therewith. With the arrangement just described the solenoid plunger is always returned to the same initial position when the solenoid coil winding is energized without respect to the direction that the plunger may have been previously moved as the magnetic stop is always attracted to the same position which dictates the position of the armature that is attached to the movable plunger.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a solenoid apparatus including a coil winding that encircles an armature attached to a movable plunger, there being a magnetic stop slidably supported on the plunger which is attracted to an end plate fitted to the coil winding when the coil winding is energized, the magnetic stop attracting the armature and also acting as a stop for the armature.

Another object of this invention is to provide a solenoid apparatus that is adapted to position a plunger in a plurality of positions and wherein the plunger may be moved in either of two directions to the same predetermined position.

A further object of this invention is to provide a solenoid actuator that has a plurality of axially spaced coil windings encircling a plunger to which is attached a plurality of axially spaced armatures which cooperate with a plurality of axially spaced magnetic stops that are slidable on the plunger and which are attracted by a respective coil winding. A spring is preferably interposed between each magnetic stop and armature to urge the magnetic stop towards the coil winding and plate.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein preferred embodiments of the invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top view of a solenoid actuator made in accordance with this invention. 1

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the solenoid actuator illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view on taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1. FIGURE 4 is an enlarged'view of the portion of FIG- URE 3 that is encircled by dashed lines designated by reference numeral 4.

Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to FIGURES 1 and 3, it is seen that the solenoid actuator includes a tubular housing formed of suitable metal material such as brass. A pair of mounting brackets 12 and 14 are welded or otherwise secured to the tubular housing 10 and these brackets are'preferably formed of any suitable metal electrically conducting material. The housing 10 supportsa plurality of terminal studs designated respectively, by reference numerals 16, 18 and 20. These terminal studs form electrical connections for the an enlarged scale three coil windings that are positioned within the housing 10.

The housing 10 contains three coil winding assemblies generally designated by reference numerals 22, 24 and 26. The coil winding assembly 22 comprises a tubular member 28 formed of brass or the like, on which is wound a coil winding '30. The coil winding 30 is insulated from end plates 32 and 34 which are formed of steel. The coil winding 30 is encircled by a tubular member 36 formed of steel which fits snugly within the housing 10. The end plate 32 has external threads which engage an internally threaded portion 37 of the housing 10.

The coil assembly winding 24 is generally similar to' coil Winding assembly 22 and comprises tubular member 38, end plates 40 and 42, tubular member 46 and a coil' winding 48. In a like manner, the coil winding assembly 26 has a tubular member 50, end plates 52 and 54, tubular member 56 and a coil winding 58. The coil winding assemblies 22, 24 and 26 are axially spaced from each other by tubular spacer members 60 and 62 which are formed of aluminum. The housing 10 of the solenoid actuator has an inturned flanged portion 64 which abuts a plunger support member 66 that in turn is fitted against the end plate 54 of coil winding assembly 26. It can be seen from the foregoing that the coil winding assemblies are positioned between the flanged portion 64 of housing 10 and the end plate 32 of coil winding assembly 22, the various coil winding assemblies being spaced apart by aluminum spacers 60 and 62.

The bore of coil winding assembly 22 is fitted with an armature 68 which is slid-able within the bore and which carries a shaft 70 that is press fitted into an opening 72 formed in the armature 68. The shaft 70 is threaded as at 74 and passes through a fittting 76 which is threaded into end plate 32. The shaft 70 also passes through a conically shaped member 77 formed of steel having flanged portion 78 fitted between end plate 32 and coil winding 30. The shaft 70 is slidable through member 77 and end fitting 76 and may be secured to any device that is desired to be operated to various positions. This de' vice, for example, could be a valve that is to be shifted to various positions.

The central bore of coil winding assembly 24 contains a slidable armature 80 and a conically shaped magnetic stop member 82 formed of magnetic material such as steel. A shaft 84 is positioned within a central opening in armature 80 and passes through the magnetic stop 82. The magnetic stop is freely slidable on shaft 84 and has a flanged portion 86 which abuts the end plate 42 and a spun over portion of tubular member 38 when the coil winding is energized to attract the magnetic stop. The shaft 84 has a head portion 88 which fits within an opening 90 formed in armature 68. A snap ring 92.fits within a groove formed in the armature 68 and operates to. hold the head of shaft 84 within the opening 90 and in fixed relationship with armature 68. The magnetic stop member 82 carries a spring retainer 94 and a compression spring 96 is interposed between the spring retainer 94 and the armature 68. In a similar fashion, the bore of coil winding assembly 26 contains an armature 98 that is slid'able within the coil winding 58. Press fitted within armature 98 are shafts 100 and 102. The shaft 100 passes through a magnetic stop member 104 formed of suitable magnetic material such as steel. The magnetic stop member 104 like magnetic stop member 82 has a flanged portion that engages end plate .52and the spun over end portion of tubular member 50 when the coil 25 is energized to attract the magnetic stop 104. The shaft 100 has head portion 103 which is secured to armature 80 by means of snap ring 105. The magnetic stop member 104 carries a spring retainer 106 and a compressed spring 108 is interposed between the spring re- 3 tainer 106 and the armature 80. The shafts 70, 84, 100 and 102 are all preferably formed of stainless steel which is essentially non-magnetic. V

The shaft 102 passes through the support member 66 and carries a spring retainer 110. A compression spring 112 is interposed between the support member 66 and spring retainer 110 and tends to move the shaft 102 leftwardly in FIGURE 3. A brass cover 114 is fitted to the housing 10 in any suitable fashion and encloses the spring 112.

One side of the coil windings 30, 48 and S8 is preferably electrically connected respectively to end plates 32, 42 and 52 so that the housing of the solenoid actuator forms a ground return connection for the coil windings. The opposite side of coil winding 30 is connected with terminal stud 20 via a lead 116. In a like manner, the opposite side of coil winding 48 is connected with terminal stud 18 via lead wire 118 and the opposite side of coil winding 58 is connected with terminal stud 16 via lead wire 120.

In FIGURE 1 a circuit diagram is illustrated for energiz'in'g the various coil windings of the solenoid actuator. In this figure, a battery designated by reference numeral 122 has one side thereof grounded and has its opposite side connected with a movable contactor 124 that may be manually actuated. The contactor 124 cooperates with contacts 126, 128 and 130 which are connected respectively with terminal studs 16, 18 and 20. It will be a preciated that when contactor 124 engages contact 126 solenoid coil winding 58 will be energized. In a like manner, when contactor 124 engages contact 128 coil winding 48 is energized and when contactor 124 engages contact 130 coil winding 30 is energized.

From the foregoing description of the apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 3 it will be readily apparent that shafts 70, 84, 100 and 102 and armatures 68, 80' and 98 move together as a unit with the spring 112 tending to move these elements to their position illustrated in FIG- URE "3. It will also be readily appreciated that magne'tic stops 82 and 104 are freely slidable on shafts 84 and 100 and are s ring biased toward end plates 42 and 52 by springs 96 and 108.

- In operation, if coil winding 58 is energized, the magnet'ic stop 104 is attracted toward end plate 52 and armature 98 moves to a position where it engages the conical face of magnetic stop 104. When the armature 98 moves rightwardly toward the magnetic stop 104, it, of course, moves shafts 70, 84, 100 and 102 with it so that the threaded portion 74 is moved rightwardly in FIG- URE 3' ajdistance equal to the initial spacing between armature 98 and magnetic stop 104. In a similar fashion, if coil winding 48 is energized, the magnetic stop 82 is attracted to end plate 42 and the armature 80 is attracted to the magnetic stop 82. This moves the various shafts further to the right and will cause magnetic stop '104 to move away from end plate 52. If only coil winding-30 is energized, the magnetic member 77 attracts the armature '68, thus moving all of the shafts and armatures once more to the right and moving magnetic stops 104 and 82 away from end plates 52 and 42. It can be seen from the foregoing that energization of any of the three. coils produces a predetermined rightward movement of the interconnected shafts with a consequent rightward movement of threaded portion 74 of shaft 70. It will also be appreciated that the solenoid actuator pryides four ditferent positions, namely a first position illustrated in FIGURE 3 and three other positions determined by the energi'zation of coil windings 30, 48 and '58. The total rightward movement will be equal to the spacing between the end of armature 68 and the magnetic part 77.

It should be particularly noted that whenever the shafts 70, 84, 100 and 102 are moved rightwardly they may be once more moved magnetically leftwardly to a predetermined position. Thus, assuming that coil 30 is energized first the various shafts would be moved rightwardly the maximum amount. If coil winding 48 is now energized, the magnetic stop 82 will be attracted back towards end plate 42 and the armature will be attracted to magnetic stop 82. It thus is apparent that the solenoid actuator will magnetically reposition the various connected shafts by moving the shafts in either direction and irrespective of the initial positioning of the shafts. It thus is not necessary to rely on the spring 112 to move the shafts back to the position of FIGURE 3 in order to position the shaft to an intermediate position when the shaft is in its full rightward position. It will be readily apparent from the foregoing that the magnetic stops not only attract the armatures but provide for positive positioning of the armatures and, consequently, positive positioning of the shafts that are attached to the armatures. This arrangement provides for a very accurate positioning of shaft 70 and provides an actuator that may be moved in increments in one direction and may be also moved in increments in the opposi;e direction all under positive control.

While the embodiments of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitute a preferred form, it is to e understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows: I

1. A solenoid actuator comprising, a tubular housing, a plurality of coil windings fitting within said housing and axially spaced from each other, an armature positioned within each coil winding carrying a plunger member, a fixed magnetic member positioned within one of said coil windings and axially spaced from one of said armatures, a pair of members formed of magnetic material positioned adjacent the ends of the other coil windings and slidably disposed on a respective plunger, and means connecting said armatures for movement together in two directions.

2. A solenoid actuator comprising, first, second and third axially spaced coil windings each having a central bore, a member formed of magnetic material fixed to and positioned within said first coil member, a first arma ture slidable within the bore of said first coil winding and adapted to be attracted toward said first fixed ma netic member, a first shaft fixed to said armature and passing through said first fixed magnetic member, a second armature positioned within the bore of said second coil winding, a second shaft rigidly interconnecting said first and second armatures, a first magnetic stop member formed of magnetic material slidably supported on said second shaft and positioned adjacent the end of said second coil winding, a first spring interposed between said first armature and said first magnetic stop member, a third armature positioned within the bore of said third coil winding, a third shaft rigidly connecting said third armature and said second armature, a second magnetic stop member slidably disposed on said third shaft and adapted to be-attracted toward the end of said third coil winding, a second spring interposed between said second magnetic stop member and said second armature, and-a third spring biasing all of said armatures in one direction.

3. A solenoid actuator comprising, a casing, a'plurality of axially spaced coil Winding assemblies each having a central bore positionedwithin said casing, means separating said coil winding assemblies including non-magnetic spacer members engaging said assemblies and said casing, an armature positioned within each bore having a plunger member normallyextending outwardly of the bore, means connecting said armatures for movement together in two directions, and a member formed of magnetic material slidably supported on each plunger member and adapted to be attracted toward the end of a coil winding assembly when the coil winding of the assembly is energized.

4. A solenoid actuator comprising, a'plurality of 'axiaL ly spaced coil windings each having a central bore, an armature positioned with each bore'having a plunger armatures in one direction, and a magnetic stop member 6 member normally extending outwardly of each bore, armature from its magnetic stop member when said armameans connecting said armatures for joint movement in tures are in a retracted position. either of two directions, resilient means for urging said References Cited in the file of this patent slidably supported on each plunger member, said mag- UNITED STATES PATENTS netic stop members being attracted into engagement with 5 922,540 Stratton May 25, 1909 the end of a respective coil winding when it is energized 2,131,942 Evans et a1 Oct. 4, 1938 to form a stop for a respective armature, the end of one 2,248,095 Lande July 8, 1941 of said armatures being spaced from its magnetic stop 2,388,449 Sundt et a1 Nov. 6, 1945 member a greater distance than the spacing of another 1 2,842,334 Short July 8, 1958 

